Although much of the focus of your wedding day and weekend will be placed on you and your groom, we love when couples choose to shine a light on their guests by presenting them with welcome bags upon their arrival. These totes, bags, or boxes are a great way to introduce your guests to Philadelphia if they’ve never visited before, plus you can think of them as a way to present your friends and family with a few of your favorite treats that they might not experience at your wedding.
Below you will find our top items to include in welcome bags whether you’re hosting your wedding in Philadelphia or another city (just swap out items, like the magazine, candy, and print for more localized items)!
Note: Make sure to contact the hotel(s) where guests will be staying to inquire about dropping off your welcome bags before guests arrive. You will want the front desk to deliver them to guests’ rooms prior to their arrival, or present them as they check in.
1. Tote: Packaging your items in bags or boxes is perfect, but we love the idea of using a personalized tote. Consider adding your monogram, the date of your wedding, or a whimsical nod to your wedding’s location if you’re only gifting a few bags to your most notable guests.
blogs.phillymag.com
2. Personalized Note: Possibly the most important item to include, plan to write a note to your guests. To personalize it even more, stay away from generic letters and handwrite a note to each guest instead.
3. Wedding Timeline: Most guests will know the important facts about your wedding, but a reminder is always helpful. Add a copy of your wedding day timeline to your welcome kit, and mention facts such as times, locations, and addresses for each event your guests will be attending (rehearsal, welcome cocktails, ceremony, reception, brunch, etc).
ChickInvitations.com
4. Your Favorite Places: If guests are arriving from out of town, some may see your wedding as an opportunity to explore Philadelphia. So guests don’t have to Google the best restaurants or sites to see, make a personalized page of your top places that they can’t miss! You can also take a look at this post and this post from our blog for more inspiration.
5. Philly Phlash Tickets: For $5 each, consider purchasing tickets for your guests to have access to Philly Phlash. They will be able to hop on and off of the bus for a day. Buses stop at 22 of the most popular destinations in the city, including Penn’s Landing, The Franklin Institute, and Reading Terminal Market.
6. Philadelphia Magazine: From fashion and food to news and events, add a copy of the latest issue of our favorite magazine that solely focuses on the best of Philadelphia. Guests can read it while they’re in town or use it to start planning their next trip to the city.
7. Water: After a day of traveling or a night spent at your reception, water is always a necessity that’s appreciated! A few other beverages to consider: mini bottles of champagne or a bottle of wine if you’re hosting your wedding at a nearby winery.
photo: www.phillymag.com
8. Chocolate: As much as we love Tastykakes, we encourage you to turn to one of Philadelphia’s oldest confectioneries instead. Think about adding Asher’s chocolate covered pretzels, Marcie Blane chocolates, or sweets from Shane Confectionery.
9. Just-In-Case Kit: We love these pouches from Etsy because they’re the perfect place to store items like Advil or Tylenol, band-aids, and ChapStick.
10. Philadelphia Print: We love local artist Kimberly Shrack of Manayunk Calligraphy, and we think her Philadelphia LOVE print is a delightful piece to help guests remember their trip to the city for your wedding!
